Founder Rou Gu Cha (Bak Kut Teh)

Founder Rou Gu Cha is one of my favourite Bak Kut Teh (Chinese-style spicy pork rib soup) places in Singapore. I like the soup here as it is reasonably tasty though I am generally biased towards the super-peppery version at Outram's Ya Hua or the super-herbal tasting versions sold in KL. I like strong flavours but nonetheless, the Bak Kut Teh here is pretty decent stuff. It's also a little closer to my home than Ya Hua though I still drop in at Outram sometimes for my Bak Kut Teh fix and to say "Hi" to the glam lady at the stove (and ask her about her cats).

Bak Kut Teh

No visit to a Bak Kut Teh stall is ever complete without a bowl of hearty, spicy pork-rib soup. The best part of it all? You get to ask for soup refills [a la Oliver Twist - "Please Sir, I want some more."] Boy, do I love to drink soup! It's the ultimate comfort food! Talk about chicken soup for the soul? I find any steaming hot bowl of soup most comforting especially after a couple of drinks. I must clarify that the pictures taken here were after a gym workout...replenishing my expended energy and apparently doing more for expanding sideways than anything else. :P On to happier thoughts, this is a Must-Try! :)

Yew Char Kway (Dough Fritters)

Now, any Bak Kut Teh aficionado will tell you that a Bak Kut Teh experience is incomplete sans Yew Char Kway. Unfortunately, these pieces of Yew Char Kway are actually bits of rubber tyre in disguise. Its exceedingly heavy and a chore to bite on. The only way to eat it is to dunk it into the hot soup and let it soak for at least 5 minutes. If only I could bring my favourite Yew Char Kway from Vivocity with me...hmm...well, I guess I should settle for taking away both items and having them at home.

Tang Oh (Garland Chrysanthemum)

This is one of my favourite vegetables and I will usually order this dish at any Bak Kut Teh shop (if available). Its rather pungent and mildly bitter-tasting but not exceedingly so and is a very popular vegetable in steamboat dishes. Traditionally, the price of this vegetable sky rockets during the Chinese New Year season because many families tend to have steamboat dinners.

Mee Swa (Wheat Vermicelli aka Longevity Noodles)

I love Mee Swa because it absorbs the flavours of the soup. It's a comforting dish like how porridge warms your stomach on a cold day.

Stewed "Tau Pok" (Fried Tofu Puff)

I like the Tau Pok here because its just the right amount of saltiness and perks up my Mee Swa dish. I love how the rich soya sauce based gravy oozes out of the Tau Pok when bitten into.

Stewed Salted Vegetables (Preserved Chinese Mustard)

I love savoury food and so I generally like the stewed salted vegetables sold in Bak Kut Teh shops, Teochew Porridge shops or Kway Chap stalls. However, the salted vegetable dish here was a little on the sweet side...which isn't to my liking. I think they must have bought the sweeter version. During my visit to the wet markets, the auntie will usually ask if you want to buy the salty or the sweet version of the preserved vegetable.

Braised Pig's Trotters

So much for exercising, my gym buddy - L, and I couldn't resist ordering the Pig's Trotters. It's a good thing we did because this is the star of the evening! The meat was succulent and melted in our mouths. Tearing the morsels of tender flesh away from the bone was easy peasy with our chopsticks. It was of course a major contributor to the robust flavour in the soya sauce gravy that it was braised in (the same sauce was used to stew the Tau Pok). This is definitely a MUST-TRY!

Founder Rou Gu Cha 347 Balestier Road Tel: 6352-6192

Operating Hours Daily (except for Tuesdays) : 12 pm - 2pm & 6pm - 3am